the 289 i bought has been bored .030 and it has what appear to be copper or bronze rings around each cylinder, about 1/4 inch away from the bore and standing proud of the deck somewhat. i don't have pics of it, as it's still at work. hoping a Ford guru will shed some light on what i have here.... and that it's not simply junk. the bores are really clean, after getting the pistons free and rotating the crank several times, spraying liberally with wd-40... the cam lobes aren't scored, and the lifters aren't galled. i'm su****ious that it might have been sleeved (odd, for a common engine like a SBF) and that it won't take another bore in case it needs it. if it has been cut for o-ringed head gaskets, i'm kind of curious as to why they went to that much effort on a 289. ****, i really need to get some pics of it up here.
Pictures would be nice. Do you know if you have stock pistons? The 0-rings my have been added because the motor had high compression pistons or was running a blower. We don't think of the 289 as much these days. But there was a time.......
If it's just a thin ring, it's likely o-ringed. Who knows, maybe it had twin turbos or something in the distant past...
Yep.. O rings....usually used in conjunction with with dead-soft copper head gaskets to seal the cylinders and prevent blown head gaskets on very high compression or high-boost supercharged or turbocharged engines. Mart3406 ==========
And any of the light weight casting engines like the 289 family you really don't want to bore p***ed .040 as heating issues usually follow . Every 350 CSB I've been around that was bored .060 had over heating issues. So in my opinion you are done at .030.
Due to four bolts around each cylinder, O ringing was recommended for boost, but it could show up in other builds. Its gap should be near a bolt, so that the clamping force pinches it shut.
I vividly recall a certain 65-6 Mustang Cpe at Det Dragway. It was a 289 4spd, and I swear that guy musta been swingin it close to or over 8K RPM. Damn that car could sing. Fast too, like low 11s-high 10s. I also heard of a 289 in a slingshot dragster here in Motown. I tried to get more info in an attempt to buy it but got shined on. Supposedly it was a blown 289, the motor was still in the garage, the car was hung from the rafters. Some folks loved those lil peanuts...
Piston dome would tell us a lot..What are the heads like? Even a number off the cam would give a clue as to the general build of the engine..
I've still got one of those in my Dads 'ol Bronco , think it runs great but it only has about 60k on it. O-ringing a block would have to been an extreme machining job, not a round deal like a hemi . I do recall that Doug Nash used a blown 289 in an early bronco funny (truck) ? "Bronco Buster", gl*** body with an aluminum ch***is , even the rollcage !!
they are thin copper or bronze rings, and the pistons are forged flattop at .030 over. i'm getting a better "warm and fuzzy" feeling now. i'd be glad to pop some pics up as soon as i can haul it home from the store's backroom where i had to leave it. i'm a true believer when it comes to the "haul-***" that a 289 can do; my Dad had a stock '67 Mustang with one in it, that would definitely SCOOT.
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